It was the 96th annual Handhills Lake Stampede, on June 1 - June 3.
The event brought crowds out, young and old, to watch professional rodeo and chuckwagons first hand. The stands were filled with spectators, and some were even sitting on a grassy hillside to take in the action.
The first place winners for the rodeo events went as follows: bull riding, Scott Shiffner with an 85 point ride; team roping, Brett McCarroll/Cody McCarroll, 5.6 seconds; bareback riding, Jake Vold with an 85.5 point ride; steer wrestling, Dustin Walker, 4.6 seconds; saddle bronc riding, Sam Kelts with an 84.5 ride; tie-down roping, Stetson Vest, 8.5 seconds; barrel racing, Lee Ann Rust, 16.3 seconds; novice bronc riding, Layton Green with a 69.5 ride; novice bareback riding, Dylon Bolton with a 64 point ride; junior steer riding, Cameron Brown with a 76.5 point ride.
The chuckwagons were delayed by a few minutes on the Saturday evening due to weather. A brief rain shower passed over Handhills Lake, but in true cowboy fashion they still faced “the half mile of hell.”